Why do they hate us?

Dear BTL,
A major question between us and full equality and full acceptance is: why do they hate us so much? The answer to this question could guide us on how we frame our arguments and how we go about showing them we aren't the bogeyman they claim we are. However, this is likely a topic worthy of a Master's thesis or a Ph.D dissertation. Any takers? While I don't have a definitive answer (and there probably isn't only one), I've delved into the question enough to at least get the discussion going.
Is their hate based only on the fear of the unknown or of the different? Perhaps, but I doubt it. As important as it is, I think there will be a limit on the strides we make just in coming out. Teens being thrown out of the house after coming out is an example of this limit.
Is it because our society has rigid roles for men and women? Have we incurred the wrath of those who believe men are superior and can't tolerate the idea of a man submitting in love to another man or of a woman not needing a man to submit to?
Is it because bashing gays is still a potent and acceptable way for a guy to prove he has what it takes to survive in the world, especially a white guy who is supposed to be part of the "Hegemonic Masculinity" and isn't?
Is our society so tangled up in homophobia that a gay man will denounce other gays as a way of purging what he sees as disgusting in himself?
Is it solely because of a few verses in Leviticus in the Bible? Again, that doesn't explain the whole issue because there are so many commandments in the bible that churches (even the most conservative) already ignore. However, the waters get murky here and I'm not sure of the real reasons behind the preaching. I'm also not sure who to ask and how to ask so that I can get beyond, "because the Bible says so."
Might it have something to do with a vision that the whole of America would be presented to Jesus if only the sinners can be convinced to reform or can be eliminated?
If that last part is what is going on (and I think it is, at least in part) it will be much harder to defeat because it is very difficult to convince someone that their theology is wrong, that what they hold dear is not what Jesus actually said. Even so, we need to know what their rationale is before we can counter it.
Paul Kinney
Westland